Tangelia Myles, a human trafficking survivor and advocate for victims, was the 2019 “Pioneer Woman of the Year” for District 9. On March 8, Tangelia was one of 15 women honored by Los Angeles City Councilmembers on International Women's Day.

Ascot Avenue Elementary School parents and loved ones will have greater peace of mind over their children’s safety with the launch of a curbside valet program coming March 18.

Councilman Curren Price’s Field Staff joined Safe Routes to School (SRTS) partners and community members on March 5 as part of a training for the new service. This initiative, spearheaded by parent volunteers, school administration and LAUSD School Police, will allow boys and girls to be safely dropped off and picked up from school without the need for parking. Neighbors should be conscious of this new program when driving around the neighborhood.

The valet program, along with loading signs and other precautionary measures, are all part of SRTS—a national and LADOT program charged with implementing improvements to ensure children have a safe path to campus.

To ensure the safety of children at Ascot Elementary, drivers should follow these simple rules as the new program is rolled out:

1. Follow the instructions of the Valet crew.
2. Do not park within 10 feet of the orange coned area.
3. Pull all the way forward to the volunteer with the STOP sign (unloading zone) before allowing children to exit the car.
4. Allow the adult Valet to assist children from the car. Drivers do not need to exit their vehicles.
5. Children should gather their books, backpacks, jackets, lunch and/or any personal belongings prior to reaching the Valet Zone so they are ready to immediately exit the car.
6. Before exiting the Valet area, drivers should wait for a signal from the Valet Volunteer to ensure children are safely out of the way.

Approximately 100 community members attended on March 2 a workshop that informed neighbors about the affordable housing process in the City and which was organized by Councilman Curren Price. 

The event had the participation from the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (HCID) and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). Developers were also on hand to talk about incoming affordable housing projects.

“Many people are unaware that CD 9 has the highest stock of affordable housing in Los Angeles,” said Councilman Price. “Currently, there are about 1,500 affordable units in the pipeline in my District. For this reason, it’s important to educate and empower the community.”

To see coverage from the event held at Maya Angelou Community High School, please click on the image below. 

LA City Councilmember Curren Price on March 1 introduced a motion that would bring relief to retail workers who face income insecurity over unpredictable, last-minute and fluctuating workweeks.

The Fair Workweek proposal, which was co-sponsored by City Council President Herb J. Wesson, Jr. and Councilmember Paul Koretz, seeks to bring stability, predictability and flexibility in retail workers’ schedules. The motion requests the City Attorney to draft a fair scheduling ordinance.

“What good is a minimum wage if employees are unable to work enough hours to make ends meet?” said Councilmember Price, who was a champion of the citywide $15 minimum wage and is Chair of the City Council’s Economic Development Committee. “L.A. retail workers live in economic uncertainty, making it difficult to predict their income, make time for school, or care for their families. It’s time the City of Los Angeles support retail employees by adopting a Fair Workweek policy.”

The new policy, which would affect retail businesses in the City with 300 or more employees, outlines six key regulations including: written and posted work schedules, two weeks’ notice of work schedules, right to request a flexible schedule/right to decline hours without retaliation, predictability pay, right to rest between shifts of 10 hours and access to additional hours.

Last year, the UCLA Labor Center released its “Hour Crisis: Unstable Schedules in the Los Angeles Retail Sector” report, which surveyed retail workers to investigate the scope of the sector’s scheduling problem. More than 147,000 people work retail jobs in the city of LA. Retail is the second largest employer in the county: 1 in 10 workers in LA County are working in retail, 84 percent of whom lack a set schedule.

Los Angeles’ family-sustaining workweek plan would ensure stable and predictable work hours, opportunities to work more, healthier workweeks with adequate rest, and a greater voice in when and how much they work. The motion is expected to be heard in the City Council’s Economic Development Committee in the next 45 days. A final ordinance could be ready for review by the City Council before the end of the year. 

See motion below. 

Watch coverage from our partners at  L.A. This Week by clicking on the image below.

Councilman Curren Price on Feb. 28 joined Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC) and partners to break ground on the $40.2 million Florence Mills affordable housing development coming to South LA.

The latest project along Central Avenue will create 74 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments for very low-income families and veterans. It includes 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The new development  pays homage to African-American singer and dancer Florence Mills who fought for equity and social justice during the 1920s.

“Florence Mills Apartments is an exciting development that will meet many goals as we address the affordable housing crisis and residential needs of Los Angeles,” Price said. “I look forward to this exciting example of progress in our District and creating affordable units for vulnerable populations of various incomes.”

This latest project complements close to 1,500 units of affordable housing coming to CD 9 over the next several years. Florence Mills Apartments is expected to be completed in summer 2020. Information on the selection process for housing on this development will be available in 2020.

"Hollywood Community Housing is committed to developing quality affordable housing developments that meet the needs of the community. Working with non-profit, private and municipal partners, this innovative development will pair 19 new affordable apartments for veterans and their families with on-site supportive services," said Hollywood Community Housing's Executive Director, Sarah Letts. "I want to thank our partners Councilmember Price, The Home Depot Foundation, National Equity Fund and Union Bank for working with us to make sure that affordable housing is within everyone's reach."

Community members attended on Feb. 27 an informational fair to learn about proposed emergency bridge housing in District 9 to help local homeless people living in nearby encampments.

Councilman Curren Price has identified a site on 2817 S. Hope St. to be considered for the temporary housing program. The facility would include up to 100 private beds for homeless men and women, as well as toilets, showers, onsite storage and meals.

This week’s open house brought partners together to share information related to crisis and bridge housing facilities, as well as social services available. The effort was part of Mayor Garcetti’s “A Bridge Home” temporary housing initiative. The citywide program aims to get Angelenos off the streets and on a path out of homelessness and into supportive housing until a long-term home is secured.

For more information on the proposed bridge housing project in District 9, please call Councilman Price’s Constituent Service Center at (323) 846-2651.

About A Bridge Home:

The temporary facilities are constructed on City-owned properties and offer 24-hour security and intensive wrap-around services like case management, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, job training and housing placement, among other support. The program also includes additional resources for Sanitation teams to restore spaces that were previously homeless encampment sites into safe and clean passageways. To learn more about “A Bridge Home,” click here.

Watch coverage from our partners at  L.A. This Week by clicking on the image below.

On Feb. 25, Councilman Curren Price attended the report launch of a first-of-its-kind study by Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA’s) Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness. The study identified institutional and structural racism, discrimination and bias as the drivers of black homelessness today.

The report found that Black people make up 9 percent of the general population in LA County yet comprised 40 percent of the population experiencing homelessness.

"To address the most pressing issue of our time, we will have to take the corrective steps to combat racial inequality and disparities in America," said Councilman Price. “I encourage every Angeleno to read this groundbreaking new report and I look forward to implementing holistic solutions to reduce all homelessness and ensuring that more Blacks do not become homeless."

To read the full report, including 67 recommendations to create a broad framework that will advance equity and eliminate disparities, click here.

The community is invited to attend a groundbreaking on Feb. 28 for the Florence Mills Apartments, which will provide 74 units of affordable housing for veterans and families at the corner of Central Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard.  

Increasing the supply of affordable housing is a key priority for Councilman Curren Price because District 9 is one of the most underserved areas in Los Angeles.

“Every individual—regardless of their background, income, zip code or immigration status—is deserving of safe, clean and quality housing,” Price said. “We must expand access to affordable housing to keep our neighbors from losing their homes and end up living on the streets.”

The latest project will pay homage to Florence Mills and the Jazz culture on Central Avenue. The application period for these affordable housing units will not open until 2020. However, during the groundbreaking, the public can obtain general information on the apartments.

Los Angeles City Councilmembers Curren Price and Mitch O’Farrell traveled to Tijuana during Presidents’ Day weekend on a mission to provide food, medical supplies and legal assistance to immigrants seeking asylum at the United States border with Mexico. The Councilmembers were joined by a number of human rights organizations that included the Salvadoran American Leadership & Educational Fund (SALEF), Clínica Msr. Oscar A. Romero, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN-LA), St. John's Well Child and Family Center and the National Lawyers Guild.

The delegation extended humanitarian aid, including mobile health units, legal services outreach, hot meals and other donations, to asylum seekers and refugees from Feb. 16-18. Among the places they visited were a Haitian Church and an LGBT shelter. The partner organizations also provided breakfast and supplies for asylum seekers living on the streets and in shelters while they await being processed with U.S Customs and Border Patrol.

“Today, immigrants are suffering unimaginable injustices and indignities,” said Councilmember Price. “These times we’re living in are quite disturbing and in contrast to our ideals and values.

People’s lives are on the line, and this is not the time to do nothing. Inaction is acceptable. Inaction is complicity. Inaction is inhumane.”

Recently, Councilmembers Price and O’Farrell introduced a motion directing $175,000 to Casa Libre, a youth shelter in Los Angeles that works directly with asylum seekers.

“What is happening at the border is not a national security emergency despite what Donald Trump claims. However, the president has caused a humanitarian crisis,” said Councilmember O’Farrell. “Trump’s border policy is a violation of the Refugee Act of 1980. Women, children, and members of our LGBT community who have fled persecution from their own countries are being victimized again while they seek asylum hoping for a better life in our United States. I am in solidarity with the members of this delegation, demanding we follow our own laws while fighting for common human decency and compassion.”